In the dimly lit alley, a young man who wasn't particularly tall had his arms casually draped over two scruffy-looking men.
The two men wore awkward smiles, acting as though they were trying to flatter someone important. The man holding them, however, looked completely relaxed, speaking to them in a friendly tone.
On the surface, the three appeared to be getting along well, and not far away, two masked young women stood watching.
Passersby who glanced into the alley saw the strange sight and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Three men huddling together instead of harassing the girls nearbyâwhat kind of scene was this?
But no one stopped to ask questions. They simply gave the group a quick glance before moving along.
"What pictures did you take?" James asked the two men.
"Just a few shots of you two holding hands," one of the men, Qian Ming, admitted.
"Pretty bold of you to go around secretly photographing people," James said, tightening his grip on their shoulders.
The two men felt as though their bones were about to snap. Qian Ming couldn't hold back and let out a scream, drawing curious looks from the occasional passerby.
"Boss, all the photos are in the camera! Please, have mercy and let us go," Qian Ming pleaded.
At that moment, Avril arrived, tilting her head in surprise at how submissive the two men looked.
"Huh? Why are they so obedient? Aren't paparazzi supposed to be shameless?"
"Maybe they're new to the job and still a bit timid," James said, turning to the two men. "Isn't that right?"
The two men, now completely subdued, didn't dare move. They nodded vigorously, forcing out bitter smiles.
Avril was suspicious.
No timid person could survive as a paparazzo. Could it be that they had figured out James's identity and decided they couldn't afford to mess with him?
The thought made her increasingly curious about James's background. But now wasn't the time to press him about it. She suppressed her curiosity, stepped forward, and grabbed the paparazzi's camera, flipping through the photos.
Meanwhile, James decided the two had probably learned their lesson. He released them and asked nonchalantly,
"Which company are you two from? And what are your names?"
The older man, Qian Ming, immediately stepped up to answer,
"Boss, we're from Yi Jian Tong Network Services. My name is Qian Ming, and this is Li Daqiang."
"And why were you following us?"
"Uh... well, Boss, you see, this is just our jobâto take photos of celebrities. We happened to spot you two on the street and just snapped a few shots."
James walked over to Avril, who was scrolling through the camera. Seeing the photos of himself holding hands with Avril, he frowned and said,
"You know this is illegal, right?"
Qian Ming, rubbing his sore shoulders, replied with a pained expression,
"We don't have a choice, Boss. We have to make a living somehow. If we don't do it, someone else will. People love gossipâwe can't help it."
James had to admit the man had a point.
Industries like this didn't just exist because of the sellers but because there was a market for them. As long as there were buyers, someone would always step up to supply.
The cost of this kind of crime was too low. Even if they got caught, they'd just spend a couple of days in detention and be back at it. There really wasn't a good solution.
James turned to Avril and her assistant, He Xiaojing.
"What do you usually do when you catch paparazzi?"
"We usually just call the police and have them detained for a couple of days, or let the legal team sue them for some compensation. Nothing too harsh," He Xiaojing answered cautiously as she approached.
Seeing that the two men seemed genuinely remorseful, Avril didn't want to escalate the situation.
"Uncle, let's just let them go. No need to make a big deal out of it."
James didn't feel like wasting more energy on the pair. He looked up at them and said,
"I'll let you off, but you need to promise never to photograph Avril again."
Overjoyed, Qian Ming eagerly nodded,
"Of course, Boss. Thank you for your mercy. We swear we'll never show up in front of your lady again."
"You'd better keep that promise," James said, staring them down. His calm voice carried an unmistakable weight.
"If I see you again, I won't be as nice as I am today."
Remembering James's terrifying strength, Qian Ming shuddered and quickly bowed his head.
"Don't worry, Boss. I'd rather die than show up in front of you again."
He meant it.
Someone with James's inhuman strength could easily cripple him if things escalated. For someone like Qian Ming, a life-altering injury wasn't worth the risk of earning a few hundred yuan. His life was more important.
James, seeing their sincere expressions, believed they weren't lying.
He deleted the photos from the camera himself, then handed it back to them.
"Remember what you promised. Now get lost."
Qian Ming and Li Daqiang, feeling as if they had been granted a new lease on life, repeatedly thanked him, bowing as they prepared to leave.
Just then, He Xiaojing spoke up.
"Mr. King, paparazzi usually carry more than just a camera. They often have hidden recording devices too."
James immediately called out,
"Wait."
Qian Ming froze mid-step, his heart sinking.
He did indeed have a hidden pinhole camera in his belt, recording the entire encounter. If James discovered it, there was no way he'd let them off.
Glancing at his terrified companion, Li Daqiang, Qian Ming saw no sign of him trying to run.
Realizing escape wasn't an option, Qian Ming hesitated for a moment before turning around stiffly, forcing a smile.
"Boss, we didn't bring anything else today. Just this camera, I swear."
He was betting that James wouldn't notice the tiny camera in his belt.
And James really didn't noticeâit wasn't something most men would pay attention to.
"If you have any other recordings, delete them now. Don't make me get involved," James warned.
"There's nothing else, I promise!" Qian Ming said, though his shifting gaze betrayed him.
James's eyes narrowed.
"Good. Because if I see photos of myself online tomorrow, you'll regret it."
Qian Ming hesitated before forcing out a nervous laugh.
"Uh... Boss, but what if someone else took picturesâ"
Before he could finish, James snatched the camera out of his hands with a quick motion.
Under Qian Ming's shocked gaze, James gripped the camera tightly in one hand and began to squeeze.
The solid DSLR began to deform under his monstrous strength.
Crack. Crack.
The sound of glass and metal snapping filled the air.
The camera, which once seemed indestructible, was crushed into a mangled mess, shards of lens flying in all directions.
When James was done, the camera was nothing more than a hunk of scrap metal.
Qian Ming and Li Daqiang were dumbfounded, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
They had thought James was just a strong guy who went to the gym. But this?
No human should be able to crush a metal camera like that with one hand.
Was this man even human? Or was he some kind of superman?
Their worldview shattered, and even Avril was stunned.
She rushed forward, prying open James's hand to examine the lump of twisted metal.
"Damn, Uncle, is your hand made of steel?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
James ignored her question, tossing the crumpled remains of the camera toward its owner.
No one reached out to catch it.
The camera arced through the air before landing at Qian Ming's feet with a loud clunk.
The already broken camera shattered further upon impact, leaving nothing but scattered fragments.